Chapter Thirty

Blake

 

A clue is in the place where some of my fondest memories live, where we as kids would play. It holds a color blue, close to your eyes, but not just from the summer skies.

I read the card sent from Aiden and knew exactly where he was sending me. As kids, we all spent a great deal of our time at the lake, swinging from the rope tied to a long branch of the giant oak tree, and splashing into the cool, refreshing, blue water.

I smiled as I thought about the times we’d shared there, and loved that our fondest memories shared a place.

“Holly, do you want to go to the lake with me this morning?” I called into the kitchen.

She lifted up from her bowl of cereal, milk dripping down her chin, and smiled.

“Yes, can I bring Sam?” she asked.

I giggled and nodded. I found her so intriguing. Holly wasn’t like other little girls. She had a unique sophistication to her at times, like when naming her fluffy puppy Sam.

“Whenever you’re ready,” I told her, and then quickly sent Aiden a text.

Me: I know where I’m going. Will leave in a few minutes.

I carried my phone into the guest room where I’d been sleeping and found a clean t-shirt and pair of shorts. I wasn’t sure if Aiden would be there, or if just another clue would be waiting for me somewhere by the lake shore.

“I’m ready,” Holly bounced into my doorway, her hair pulled into a tight ponytail, and her face covered with large sunglasses.

“You look like Miss. Hollywood,” I teased, patting her head as I left the room.

I helped her get the leash, round up the hyper pup, and head out the front door.

The puppy scratched at the glass of the passenger window until I rolled it down enough for him to hang his head outside. He sat in Holly’s lap, content and relaxed as I pulled away from the house.

I pulled into a parking spot near the park and helped Holly untangle Sam’s leash from the adjuster beside the seat.

He took off running through the park, causing a few birds that were enjoying breakfast to scatter, wings flapping and beaks squawking like mad.

Holly laughed as she pulled back on his leash, stopping him from going any further.

“You can let him run around here,” I instructed, leaning down to unlatch Sam’s leash from his collar.

He took off fast, running circles around the thick trees. A few teenagers, just a few years older than Holly, took turns swinging from the rope tied to the old oak by the water. Her eyes widened as she stared out at them, amazement, possibly even envy, flickering in her eyes.

“Your dad could always get the biggest splash,” I winked in her direction.

She looked up at me, her bright blue eyes matching my own. Aiden used to tell me I had the bluest eyes in Texas when we were just kids, but now I believe Holly stole that title.

“You can jump, if you want,” I suggested, nodding towards the tree.

Her head shook vigorously as she clenched her hands, wringing them like wet clothes. I remembered being scared at her age, too, but I had Liam and Aiden to help push me past my comfort zone.

I found a patch of grass that was being warmed by the sun, and leaned back, staring up at the sky. It was a beautiful blue, but not nearly as blue as the lake, or Holly’s eyes. She reminded me of myself when I was girl, close to her age. It was when I’d developed a crush on Aiden—and when Liam started pushing me away, telling me I was too young to hang around them.

“Was the rope here when you were a little girl?” Holly asked, sitting down in a warm patch of grass beside me.

“Oh, yes,” I gushed, remembering how exciting it was to let go, fall into the water, and feel that cool blue liquid swarm over my hot skin.

“Maybe I’ll try it next year,” she smiled.

“Maybe,” I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her in close. “Your uncle Aiden was the one who got me to do it my first time,” I reminisced.

Holly’s eyes were wide and filled with interest as I told her about Aiden lifting me to the tree, holding my hand as I reached for the rope, and jumping in the lake first, so I’d have someone to swim to. I was so in love with him by that time; I would’ve jumped off the tall bridge that only the crazy kids used as summer entertainment. But I would have done it if he encouraged me.

“She’s too small,” I did my best Liam impression, causing Holly to laugh. “If it were up to your dad, I’d probably never jumped from that tree,” I admitted with a sigh.

“He was mean?” she asked.

“No. He was protective, but not mean. Your dad was, is, one of the sweetest men I’ve ever met. I’m glad he’s my brother,” I smiled, reaching over to ruffle up Holly’s hair.

Sam was barking at the feet of all the kids taking their turn on the tree swing, most ignoring his chaos. One boy, probably fourteen, stooped down and petted him on his fluffy head.

“Is this your dog?” he called back towards me and Holly.

“It’s mine. His name is Sam,” Holly quickly responded, leaping up from her spot to talk to the older boy.

I rolled my eyes as her eagerness was not only obvious, but familiar. The boy flipped his long dark hair back from his shoulder, smiled, and immediately ran back towards his friends. I watched Holly, looking a little disappointed, and my heart ached for her. I knew that feeling too, all too well.

“Should I go?” she asked softly.

I shook my head.

“Better to wait for your dad on that one,” I warned, realizing Liam’s protectiveness had to be much stronger for his own daughter than it had been for his sister.

I looked around the lake and the back towards the park.

“Is someone meeting us here?” Holly asked.

I shrugged.

I really had no idea what the next step to this scavenger hunt would be.

“What’s this?” Holly snatched the clue card from my hand. She read it aloud, then made a few oooo’s and awww’s before handing it back to me.

“This is from Aiden?” she questioned.

“It is,” I replied.

“So where do we look for the next clue?” she asked, eagerly.

I had no idea. I was here, in the right spot, and that’s all I knew to do.

“We have to look for the other clue,” Holly insisted, getting up to her feet and extending her hand to mine.

Holly leaned against the tree, letting out a quick yelp as something poked her in the back.

“What’s this?” she turned, pulling something from between the rocks.

It was a small book, blue, with a picture of a sunny sky on it.

“Could it be a clue?” she asked excitedly, quickly opening the look to see what was inside.

“Holy shit,” I exclaimed, quickly apologizing for my language.

Holly just snickered. It wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard before.

“This is me,” I pointed out.

I wasn’t much older than Holly; in fact, I was probably a few years younger. My fingers wrapped around the rope of the same tree the kids used now, and the whites of my knuckles were a close match to the teeth in my wide smile.

Wow. I hadn’t seen that pictures in years. I couldn’t believe he’d kept it.

“It’s a clue,” Holly exclaimed, bouncing in front of me.

I was certain she was right, or at least partly. But I couldn’t figure out where this photo book was supposed to lead me next.

I browsed through it, amazed at all the pictures inside. We were so young, so carefree. “Is that Daddy?” Holly asked, pointing a short, freckled kid on the left.

I laughed, nodded, and then watched as her eyes lit up.

“He didn’t have any muscles, at all,” she exclaimed. I chuckled. It was true. Liam was a scrawny kid, one that would’ve been the target for bigger kids, had it not been for his best friend, Aiden, who towered over the other children.

He could hold his own then, even as a kid. His attitude was filled with confidence, and his heart filled with kindness. It made it hard for kids, any kids, to pick on his short stature.

“Aiden’s mom must’ve kept these all this time,” I sighed, realizing there were so many pictures I’d never seen before.

“What’s it say in the back?” Holly asked, pushing the pages forward.

I opened the back cover, read the sweet little note, and quickly wiped away the tears falling from my eyes before Holly could see.

So many things done, so many words said, but not everything has been heard. There was a moment in time, one when I knew I loved you too, and I’ve brought it to my (our) house. If you can spot it, you’ll find the last clue.

My heart paused as I read the clue again and again. He loved me too? Why didn’t he tell me?